Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports that the government of North Korea’s traded oil and coal products in 2019, what assessment they have made of the compliance of that government with international sanctions.

The British government is committed to upholding sanctions on North Korea and is working with international partners to curtail North Korea's nuclear and missile capability. The UK is concerned about North Korea's evasion of UN sanctions, including via ship-to-ship transfers of unrefined petroleum and the illicit maritime export of commodities, including coal. The British government agrees with the UN Panel of Experts' ssessment that the government of North Korea is in clear breach of international law and has raised its concerns with UN Security Council members. We are of the view that international sanctions must remain in place until North Korea denuclearises.